Allan Pettersson, Symphony 15

I regard this as Pettersson's "farewell symphony". It was completed in 1978, but only premiered in 1982, some two years after the composer's death.The first 21 minutes of the work is full of all the bitterness, defiance, and unresolved conflict that comprises nearly all the other symphonies. But at 21'44" the music makes a most extraordinary turn, and has a radical emotionality that quite defies historical classification! Of his work in general, Pettersson wrote, "The music forming my work is my own life, its blessings and its curses ... an attempt to rediscover the song once sung by the soul". "The entire history of Man is concerned with the cruelty of the human race. As in the beginning, one individual was confronted by another, and the weaker was struck down". "When we overcome our personal horrors and make art of them, then our music has a message [ a compensation]. That's what black slaves did, and what soldiers do in times of war".

The last 10 minutes seems to be a kind of global view of all of the world problems that Pettersson saw and grappled with, and the whole orchestra seems to cry out a monumental lament for all the fallen dreams and hopes for reconciliation and redemption. There is a devastating sense of loss and tragedy. And the human psyche does not seem to have made much progress in the years since Pettersson's death up until the present day.

There is considerable debate amongst both audiences and conductors as to the tempo of this symphony. Performances vary from 32 to 38 minutes. The recording presented here is close to the composer's specifications, and I personally find this to be the most satisfying interpretation. This was recorded in 1993 with Leif Segerstam conducting the Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra. The CD is BIS-CD-680, and also contains the 3rd Symphony. It is all superbly recorded with neumann microphones, and well worth purchasing if it can be still found.

Pettersson's final work was a concerto for saxophone and orchestra, named the 16th symphony. But this does not seem to me to hold much continuity with it's symphonic predecessors, but rather takes a special place with the 12th symphony which features a large vocal chorus.